CHICAGO — It’s a family affair for the Mini Projects.
The band — which consists of members Emi Brito Anguiano and Mikey and Angel Brito — is a sibling trio with dexterity and heart. Just listen to their music, which includes a self-titled EP and multiple singles. Formed after years of performances on the suburban Elgin event scene (think weddings and quinceaneras), the group is eager to establish themselves not as a “family act,” but as an act that just happens to be family.
Music has always been a part of the siblings’ lives. Each band member learned how to play their instruments from their father.
“He taught all of us, as young as one can be within the maturity level of being able to grasp an instrument and learn to play music,” Emi said. “I think he was trying to keep us all busy doing something that we wouldn’t waste time with. And he would always tell us, ‘Whatever you end up doing with this, you’ll always know that you have it.’”
Armed with an abundance of skill, the trio branched out, with their father, to perform at church services and local events held by friends, family and community members, focusing on, as Mikey said, “all the classic songs you hear at any Mexican party.”
But stepping out of the cover group circuit was the brainchild of the baby of the group, Angel, who envisioned a grander future for his siblings.
One day, prior to a regular practice for their original family band, the seeds of The Mini Projects began to sprout.
“I brought up the idea that, you know, we all play basic instruments like bass, drums and guitar. Those are enough to start a band. What if we did our own sound? I guess (like) a little project. And we’ll take it seriously, but not with the expectations of becoming famous,” recalled Angel. “I’m pretty sure that’s why our name is called the Mini Projects, because every album or song we create or every (piece of) content that we put out is like a mini project for us.”
Now established as a second family act, Emi, 29, takes on lead vocals and guitar while Mikey, 20, is on bass and Angel, 19, is on drums.
It is their sibling bond, Emi said, that makes the newer project so strong overall. “Who would have thought that my band that would be the most successful ended up being with my own siblings?” she joked.
Primary songwriting for the group stems from Emi, who has consistently written since she was a teenager, but largely kept her songs private. Finding it difficult to communicate her emotions, writing became an outlet for the musician, one that she still employs to this day. Sometimes she’ll even write letters to others to best express herself. Forming the Mini Projects gave Emi the sort of outlet she had long craved.
“I think for us, music has also always been a form of expression,” she added. “Because in our culture, it’s always hard to open up and talk about things that we go through. So music, like almost therapeutically, helped us a lot with being able to express ourselves and have a form of letting out whatever is that we’re feeling.”
After writing the lyrics, Emi brings the tracks to her siblings, who offer their thoughts and incorporate their instruments. “We take an idea from Emily, and then we evolve into what the final product is. And I think that system has been working well for us,” Angel noted.
The group’s brand of accessible indie rock has a warmth of sound brimming with early aughts aesthetics. While their latest single, “More For Me,” created with Dis Chico, may be a slight departure from their early sound, it is also one of their best. A clear earworm, the track feels pulled from a universal youthful memory of angst and yearning.
It is clear the group has built a solid sense of self in their small collection of releases. Later this year, they will release a new EP with songs written during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thematically, they say the songs touch on those questions of doubt and confusion. “What’s more important in life now? Where do we shift our attention to? I speak a lot about that,” said Emi.
Not only did the pandemic make the group adapt their recording practices from studios to bedrooms and basements, it also made them more well known. The group has steadily amassed a growing following online, due in no small part to their renewed focus on creating music videos to better articulate their creative vision. This new audience has made the prospect of new sets and new releases that much more exciting.
“Whenever we play, I can see people’s day get better. I can see them forget about whatever they were going through. I could see them just be happy, like, just be happy smiling. And that’s it for me,” said Mikey. “I know everyone’s going through it. And if I can help them in any way, forget about what they’re going through and just live in the moment, and just be happy for an hour or two. Like, that’s it.”
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